


La Rose au Boué

by ZeldaQueen



Category: La Belle et la Bête | Beauty and the Beast
Genre: F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 00:52:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10910940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeldaQueen/pseuds/ZeldaQueen
Summary: The loss of the Fairy Queen leaves all of fairydom desperate to find a new monarch. Two fairies compete for the throne, in a duel by champions. One chooses a young prince left on his own as his mother fights in a war. The other, a beautiful, kind girl whose family has undergone great misfortune.When a merchant angers a Beast, his daughter travels to the creature's palace to live out her life as his companion. All is not as it seems in this enchanted place though, where magic and secrets lurk in every room...





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jougetsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jougetsu/gifts).



It is a fact that ought to be known to all that while fairies are people of amazing magic and longevity, they do not remain forever. They may dwell for millions of years if they please in either our mortal realm or their own enchanted courts, but inevitably there comes a time when every fairy tires of this existence and moves on. We mortals may view it as no different than death, but it is whispered by those who learned from the fairies (at what cost, I cannot say) that to them, it is closer to ascending to a world that is greater and grander than either of ours, one that only the sufficiently wise and accomplished may find their way to.

I say this is true of every fairy and so it is for every one from the tiniest flower-fairy to the most powerful and renowned of them. And so it was of no surprise when the Council of the Fairies gathered one day at their palace of bone and pearl to learn that their beloved queen had passed on in this way.

They stood in her throne room and felt the absence of her divine majesty, as if the very air were stolen from the room. Several wept at their loss and all mourned, for the queen had been a just ruler who was beloved by all. But there was little time to spend grieving, for there was the whole of the fairydom to tell of this sorrow. And when the news had been spread far and wide and the subjects were being informed of their loss, the Council hid themselves away in their meeting room to discuss a matter of great urgency: the deciding of their new queen.

Now the choosing of a new fairy queen is never a frivolous matter, but since the previous queen had set such great precedent, there was all the more determination to choose a new queen who lived up to the standards of the last.

As the Council was composed of the strongest, wisest, most capable of all the fairies, it stood to reason that one of them was the most qualified. And after much debate and voting and consideration, the choice came down to two members.

The first was a fairy by the name of Tanaquill. She was of great power, having managed the ocean waters on the shores of the kingdom prior to joining the Council, and had such strength in spirit that she was often looked to as a figure of authority and stability. Such was her presence that a vocal portion of the Council was willing to crown her queen on the spot.

But then there was the other candidate, who was supported by an equally large number of Council members. Her name was Una, and she was a fairy who was renowned for her wisdom. She was as prestigious as Tanaquill if not moreso, having served the four winds themselves before she had been accepted on the Council. She had been privy to all the secrets the winds gathered as they raced across the world and her supporters argued that surely it was to all of their benefits to have such a learned fairy as their queen.

The debate went on for quite some time. Everyone's patience began to wear thin as they awaited word of who their new monarch was to be, and it reached a point where some began to despair of ever having a new queen crowned at all. Finally, when it looked as if no decision would ever be reached, the Council agreed upon a satisfactory method of choosing the worthier candidate: a duel.

The duel would not be between Tanaquill and Una directly. Such things had been forbidden in all of fairydom, ever since the first (and only) few fairy duels fought directly between the participants caused great damage to both the fairy and mortal worlds before passing into mortal lore as terrible divine retribution. No, now when fairies saw fit to duel, it was done through indirect methods chosen upon by a third party. The methods were always decided based on how well they tested the fairies in their magic, their wisdom, their strength, and their ingenuity.

After some deliberation, the Council settled on the best way to hold the duel. Each fairy would be called upon to perform a feat of magic and whichever outdid the other would be crowned the queen of the fairies.

The rules and boundaries were explained to Una and Tanaquill. Both listened. Both agreed. And both set forth in preparation...

* * *

 

_Once upon a time, in a shining palace, a young prince lived with neither a mother nor a father. Although the servants provided him with anything he desired, the prince was listless and lonesome._

_It was not always so. The prince had known a happy childhood with wise and loving parents who taught him all a good prince should know of his land and his people. But then, one fateful day, war was declared by a neighboring land. Being a good and noble king, the prince's father took up arms and left to lead his soldiers to battle._

_For some time, it was the prince and his mother who lived in the shining palace. While the queen loved her son dearly, he saw less and less of his mother. The war drained their kingdom of money and able-bodied men and every day, there were countless widows and sisters and mothers and children begging the queen for food or relief or for some word from the king on when the war would end._

_Though the prince was left with only his servants and tutors for company, he never spoke a cross word on the matter. He admired his mother for her strength of will and great intelligence as she deftly managed each case brought before her, as well as her great kindness as she comforted those she could do nothing for._

_And then came the day when a messenger, ragged and sorrowful, knelt before the queen and delivered news that all had feared since the day the king left._

_The prince was stricken when he learned of his father's death and wished her were a child once more, able to weep openly for loss. But he was a prince and had no choice but to remain strong. His mother had worn black and mourned her husband and, when the proper time had passed, announced her intent to travel to the neighboring land to take up her husband's sword and lead their soldiers to victory. With his mother gone, the prince knew, he would need to stand tall and be the pillar of authority his mother and father had once been, the wise and beloved figure who had his peoples' trust._

_Despite his aspirations though, the prince was told by his mother that he would not be reigning in her absence. He had a good heart, but he still had much to learn of the world. She would leave a council of the wisest in their court to oversee the affairs of the kingdom until her return or her death._

_Until either of those things came to be, the prince was to be tutored by a wise woman who had arrived at the castle gate not long before the queen's departure. How she found her way there no one could say (the woman seemed adverse to straight answers), but she was more than qualified and the queen accepted her for the position._

_The tutor tended to the prince's education with the utmost care and by the time he neared adulthood, he was as learned a prince as any could hope for. In prowess in combat he was lacking, despite the tutor's best efforts (it would seem that the ongoing war dulled his appetite for any form of fighting). Still, he readily took in all he was taught of the sciences, math, philosophy, and the arts._

_On the eve of the prince's seventeenth birthday, his tutor congratulated him on lessons well-learned. There was nothing left to teach him. Now, there was simply the matter of applying it. Did he have enough confidence in himself that he could best this challenge? If called on to give three displays of cunning to defeat his opponent, would he be able to?_

_In short, would he undergo the one final test she could leave him?_

_The prince, with his restless loneliness and desire be the best ruler he could, considered._

_“Yes,” he said._

* * *

_Once upon a time, in a vibrant city, there lived a wealthy merchant and his family. His friends and neighbors spoke of his unbelievable fortune in his trade, which left him one of the wealthiest men in the city. Despite this, the merchant considered himself truly blessed not with his gold and silver but with his wife and children. They were a family of eight, with three lovely girls and three fine boys, and they were regarded by all to be generous and kind._

_But no good fortune remains intact forever and there came a day when the merchant's beloved wife fell ill. The merchant hired the best physicians money could buy, but it did no good. His beloved wife's health worsened and she passed on._

_She had been as good a mother as she was a wife and the merchant and all of his children fell into the deepest grief imaginable. The children, the oldest of which was not yet even ten years of age, did not believe it possible to go on without their mother. The merchant did his best to comfort them all, but deep in his heart he felt very much the same. Still, time heals all wounds and as the months passed, the merchant and his children consoled one another until they could all smile once more._

_All, sadly, except for Beauty._

_Beauty was the youngest of the children and even in a group of such pretty children, she stood out as exceptionally lovely. She had once been just as well-known for her happiness and lively ways, but after her mother's death the poor child could not even bring herself to smile. Her family did all they could to help and she loved them for their efforts, but nothing eased the pain left in her mother's absence._

_One sunny day in spring, Beauty sat on the front steps of her home, watching the people walk up and down the street. She did not pay much mind to any one person in particular until she noticed the beggar woman standing on the street corner._

_The poor were not unknown to Beauty. She remembered her mother speaking of those less fortunate than themselves and she knew her father was careful to set aside a portion of his earnings to help those people be happier. She had never seen a beggar with her own eyes however, and found herself curiously approaching her._

_When the beggar saw Beauty, she waved her tin cup and called for alms. The woman's loud cries and wide eyes frightened Beauty, but she did not run. Beauty did not completely understand matters of poverty, but she knew it came down to money. Specifically, a lack of it was the cause of many plights._

_There were a few gold coins in Beauty's pocket. Gifts from her dear papa, so that she might buy herself sweets. Instead, they were dropped in the alms cup, clink-clink-clink._

_The beggar smiled (it reminded Beauty of her mother, oh God) and said what a kind girl she was, how her papa and mama must be so proud of her. Little Beauty, overwhelmed by new experiences and stricken by the word “mama”, burst into tears and told the beggar that her mother was in Heaven and Beauty would never see her again._

_The beggar woman knelt and held the child until she calmed. “Do not weep, do not weep,” she said, “for your mother is not gone. She has ascended to a realm greater than this, and one day you two shall meet again.”_

_She pressed into Beauty's hand a ring, offering it in return for the girl's generosity. It was a plain little gold band, but as far as Beauty could see, it was finer than any jewel worn by the grandest queen._

_In a thrice, Beauty slipped the ring on her finger, where it fit warmly and snugly. For the first time in ages, she smiled._

 

_Weeks turned to months, and Beauty's broken heart mended. Once more she smiled and played with her siblings._

_Months turned to years. There was a great and terrible storm that swept down the coast and to the ocean. There was a letter to her papa regarding the ships bringing him goods for trade and those that were not destroyed were lost at sea. There was a dreadful day when Beauty and her family were forced to sell all of their fine things and leave for a new life on a little farm_

_The years passed. The family grew accustomed to life in the country. Each day made their loss a little easier to endure, until it was as if they'd been in their little house all of their lives. Beauty in particular held up under all of the new difficulties she faced, helping with whatever chores and tasks she could to ease the pains of her family._

_Whenever she felt sorrowful, she stroked her little gold ring with her thumb. Despite all the hardships her family had been through, the ring was the one possession she could not part with._

_One day, when Beauty's father and brothers were working in the field and her sisters were doing the washing, a peasant woman came to the door asking for a bit of bread to help her on her long journey. There was no food to spare, but Beauty had the woman rest in the kitchen and drew her a cup of cold water to help ease her weariness._

_The peasant woman wished Beauty a thousand blessings for her kindness and drank the water greedily. When she had finished, she regarded Beauty as one might an unknown and colorful bird. She asked the girl if she thought of herself as having a heart that was true._

_Beauty was surprised by this question, but said she did try to do what was right and good when she was able. The peasant woman said that right and good were not always one and the same. If it came down to it, she asked, did Beauty believe she could grant three acts of kindness when they mattered the most?_

_Beauty, sweet, kindhearted Beauty, found this question perplexing. But she had been raised to be honest, and gave the matter due consideration._

_“I would do as best as I possibly could,” said Beauty._

* * *

At once, upon this time, it was done. Tanaquill and Una returned to the Council and announced that their preparations were completed.

The parts were cast and costumed. The stage needed setting, and the show could begin. It was a simple enough matter for the Council, who divided the tasks equally.

One fairy to guide one of the merchant's lost ships safely back to the harbor.

One to ensure the letter that came of it, telling the merchant of his new fortune and calling for his presence, found its way swiftly and safely.

One to hear sweet Beauty's request and hurry to a shining palace. The roses must be prominent and the master must be warned.

One to stir up a storm fierce enough to halt the merchant's return journey.

And one to light the way through the forest, so that he may stumble upon the palace.

Their work done, the Council convened to see how the events unfolded. Tanaquill and Una watched, knowing it would be time soon enough for their cues.

Everyone waited.

* * *

_No sooner had the merchant picked the rose than a fierce roar arose from behind him. He turned and nearly fainted at the sight of a terrible Beast!_

_“I have given you shelter from the storm and yet you steal from me,” cried the Beast. “Who are you, Thief, and why do you take my roses?”_

_The merchant fell to his knees before the monster and begged for forgiveness. The rose was not for himself, he said but for his youngest child. He told of his family's misfortune, of how he'd been given hope when he'd heard that one of his ships had been found safely, and how, anticipating a windfall from it, he had asked his children what gifts they wished him to bring in return. In their excitement, his children had all requested expensive presents: watches and jewels, fine dresses and waistcoats, fans and pistols. For dear Beauty though, all she had wanted was a single rose and promise of his safe return._

_The ship had not brought nearly the turnabout in fortunate that the merchant had expected and after paying the sailors and settling various debts, he was left with little more than he set out with. He could not bring five of his children what they wanted, but when he saw the Beast's magnificent rose bush, he had hoped he might be able to grant Beauty's wish, at least._

_The Beast softened as he heard this tale and, by the end, had calmed considerably. “You are a good man,” he said, “but that does not mean that what you did was right. You have wronged me and something must be done of it. You will return home and have three days with your children. After that, you must send your daughter, Beauty, to me.”_

_The merchant wept and pleaded for the Beast to ask something else of him, but the Beast remained firm. “No harm will come to your daughter. I am intrigued by her and wish to have her as a companion. But if you do not do as I say, I will choose a different punishment and it will be far less to your liking.”_

_This did little to persuade the merchant, who could think of few things worse than the loss of one of his children. But he could see that the Beast would not be moved and so he did not argue. He climbed into the fine carriage the Beast offered and within hours, found himself spirited back to his home._

 

_His children gathered outside before he had even set foot out of the carriage. They clamored for stories of the city and his journey. His sons found several enormous trunks packed away (had those been there all along?) and found them filled to the brim with everything they had requested and more! His daughters cried with joy and embraced their astonished father, thanking him again and again before hurrying to examine their presents._

_Only Beauty remained behind. She cared not for the fine contents of the trunk, but instead worried for her father. “Papa, was the journey difficult?” she asked. “Did you come across some sort of danger? You look so pale!”_

_The merchant held his daughter and could not bring himself to say what troubled him, but Beauty asked so gently and sweetly that he could not keep his secret any longer. He called for all of his children and he told them of what transpired on his return home._

* * *

The Council watched the events unfold with great anxiety. Their chamber was filled with the chatter of countless voices as the fairies fretted and whispered to one another.

“She will not go.”

“She will!”

“Her father will go. He will offer himself up to the Beast's mercy. I hear it in his heart.”

“She will let her father come to no harm.”

“Will she go?”

“Perhaps one of her sisters will go?”

“Her brothers wish to kill the Beast. What if they do?”

“Then it will be a very short competition.”

“But will it fulfill the conditions?”

In the midst of this, Tanaquill and Una were silent. They glanced at one another, exchanging looks of confidence – confidence in Beauty, in the Beast, in their plans. And that is why, when Beauty kissed her father and siblings and climbed into the Beast's carriage to be taken to his palace, they were the only two who did not give sighs of relief.

Instead, both bid the other a cordial “good evening” and left for their private quarters. Their duel was only just beginning.

 


	2. The First

The dinner before her smelled delicious, but Beauty could not eat. The candlelit dining room was peaceful, but she could not feel calm. She was seated at the end of the table as a guest of honor, but she felt very, very insignificant.

The Beast sat across from her, at the head of the table. She was astonished by how easily he used a knife and fork despite his claws and how cleanly he drank from his goblet despite his hairy face. What surprised her the most though, was that the Beast was neatly eating the well-cooked venison and vegetables on his plate. When she first laid eyes on him and was told they would be having dinner, she feared he meant to eat her.

She felt the Beast's gaze on her. “You are not eating,” he said. No accusation, no offense. There was nothing but concern in his voice. “Is there something wrong with your dish?”

Beauty shook her head. “No. Nothing wrong at all.”

The room was silent for a moment.

“Beauty?” the Beast asked, his voice so fearful that Beauty looked up in surprised. “Will you... will you give me your hand?”

If Beauty had thought she was anxious before, she was terrified now! He wished to marry her? She did not want the same! The Beast did not sound angry, but Beauty still did not know how to answer. Would it offend him if she answered truly? Would he fly into a rage and tear her to pieces?

“Oh, what shall I say? What shall I say?!” cried Beauty, so distressed that she could not think clearly.

“Say yes or no without fear,” said the Beast.

His words comforted Beauty enough that she felt the courage to say, “No, I will not.” She breathed deeply, suddenly feeling very tired.

“I am sorry,” said the Beast, as if he knew what she had been thinking. “Fear nothing in this palace, least of all me.” He set down his knife and fork. “It has been a long evening. Perhaps it is best if we both retire. A room has been prepared for you. Any door will lead you to it. I hope it is to your liking, but if there is anything you desire, you need only ask.”

He rose from his chair with more grace than his monstrous appearance suggested possible. “Please, consider this palace your home,” he said. “I regretfully can not be with you during the day, so please go anywhere you like and do whatever you wish to amuse yourself. All I ask is that you would be so good as to join me for dinner each evening.”

And with those words, the Beast left.

 

As promised, the first door Beauty chose led to her bedroom. It was a charming place, with a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace and the sheets on the bed turned out.

She slept far more soundly than she would have thought possible that night. With her fright from the Beast past and a warm, welcoming place to rest in, she found it no difficult task to sink into the mattress (so much softer and larger than what she slept on in the farmhouse!) and drift off.

Who can say how soon her dreams began? As is the nature of such things, quite suddenly she found herself sitting once more in the grand dining hall, as if she had never left. At the other end of the table was not the Beast though, but a handsome, well-dressed young man!

“My dearest Beauty,” he said warmly. “You are most welcome here.”

Beauty wondered if she ought to curtsy, but as is often the case in dreams, she was unable to move as she wished. Forced to remain sitting in her chair, she gave the stranger as respectful a nod as she could manage. “Sir,” she said, “I thank you for your greeting. I fear you have me at the disadvantage, though. What is your name and how did you come to be in this strange place?”

“I am sorry, but my name is not mine to give at this time,” said the Prince. “As for why I am here, it is for the same reason you are.”

Beauty realized her face must have betrayed her confusion, as the stranger cocked his head to one side and asked, “You do know why you are here, do you not?”

She nodded. “It is because of the bargain my father made with the Beast,” she said.

As is also often the case in dreams, her words came out as little more than a whisper. She could scarcely hear herself, so it came to no surprise to her when the stranger asked once more, “Why are you here?”

A woman stepped out from a shadowy corner of the hall, surprising Beauty so much that did not repeat herself. This woman, with her sharp features and tall, proud demeanor, had a presence that commanded all attention. She was dressed in a purple gown of such magnificence that Beauty wondered if she was royalty of some sort.

“Mind the conditions,” the woman said.

Another woman stepped forward. She was an equally impressive lady wearing a gown of red. “Everything has begun," she said.

The lady in purple stepped forward and rested her hand on the back of the strangers chair, looking from him to Beauty with something like sympathy. “May the best one win,” she said.

The dream ended as swiftly and suddenly as the snuffing out of a candle. Beauty slept soundly for the rest of the night. When she awoke in the morning, she could recall only scraps of it: the dining hall, the stately woman in purple, and the handsome stranger.

The smell of a fine breakfast distracted her from even those few details. She turned her attention to the tray of food set invitingly on a little table by her window. Ravenous from her lack of dinner, she ate and admired the lovely view of the palace gardens her window provided. By the time she had finished, her only thoughts were of exploring this mysterious palace, which she was now to consider her home.

 

There seemed to be countless rooms for Beauty to discover, each with some sort of magical secret. One room held an orchestra's worth of instruments, which Beauty found would not only play on their own, but obligingly play for her any song she asked of them. Another room housed a library so vast that it seemed to have every book in the history of the world. Beauty skimmed books in dialects and languages she did not even know the names of and wondered if the Beast could read them all.

Yes, the Beast. After meeting him, none of the strange, wondrous things in the palace shocked Beauty. She was not certain where in the palace he lurked. For the first few rooms she found, she had entered cautiously, half-expecting to find the Beast. But it seemed his promise the night before was true and she never saw him.

It was nearing dinnertime and Beauty was preparing to begin searching for the dining room when she came across the most impressive room yet. It was a ballroom, one so dazzling that for a moment, she hardly dared set foot in it. The walls were lined with mirrors, reflecting one another endlessly. On the ceiling, there were at least a dozen crystal chandeliers throwing their light in rainbows across the marble floor and into the mirrors. As Beauty walked breathlessly across the room, watching her countless reflections follow her the entire way, she tried to imagine what a display it would be for a ball to be held there, the mirrors making it seem as if there were five times as many guests dancing across the floor as there would be.

Much to Beauty's curiosity, there were two thrones at the opposite end of the ballroom. As she drew closer, she saw that while both were finely-crafted, one was broken as if it'd been struck by a great force. The other was undamaged, but covered in dust. Oddly, while both thrones were dull with age, Beauty could see something glimmering on the seat of the dust-covered throne. When she saw what it was, she gave a cry of delight – on a velvet cushion sat the finest set of jewels she had ever seen!

Without a second's hesitation, Beauty used the jewels to decorate herself – a diamond necklace around her throat, bracelets of gold and amethyst on her wrists, and a ring sparkling with sapphires on her finger. Her sisters had been masterful at selecting the best finery for themselves, but Beauty had owned little jewelry before the loss of their fortune. Now, standing before the countless mirrors with the precious gems sparkling on her, she felt very grand indeed.

But it was nearly time for dinner and she could not stay any longer. Beauty replaced the jewels on the cushion and, noticing a door behind the thrones, decided to see if that way would lead her to the dining room.

She reached out to open the door, but froze when the sight of something glimmering on her finger caught her eye. Somehow, she had been so distracted that she had not removed the sapphire ring! And even more troubling, when she went to replace it with its fellows, she realized her little gold ring had nearly been left behind!

Beauty slid the gold ring back on her finger, feeling very ashamed of herself. How could she have forgotten something so precious? With how large the palace was, she might never have found this room again!

She glanced back at the velvet cushion and blinked. While she had been replacing her ring on her finger, the jewels had vanished. In their place was a golden locket. It was unremarkable enough... but when Beauty opened it, she gave a cry of delighted surprise. The portrait inside was of the stranger in her dream!

She slipped the chain around her neck, letting the locket settle under her dress. She wondered if she was stealing, but the locket felt warm and right against her. Unlike the jewels, she felt this was for her.

 

The door behind the thrones led directly to the dining room. Beauty wondered if they would have done so if she had not been looking for that room. The Beast was already seated and greeted her cordially as she took her place.

Now that she had been in the palace for a day, the prospect of dining with the Beast seemed considerably less frightening than the night before. Beauty ate heartily, enjoying the fine meal provided by unseen servants.

The Beast seemed to be pleased by this and over dinner, he asked her what she saw and did during the day. Beauty told him of the magical instruments and their songs, of the library and its many languages. She told him of every room she'd been in, finishing with the mirrored ballroom.

“I have not been in that room in many years,” said the Beast, when she'd finished.

Beauty did not think to mention the near loss of her ring. Such a thing seemed far too trivial. But there was something else she wondered at. “Beast,” she said, “there were two thrones in that room. One of them was broken. Why is that?”

The Beast looked so sorrowful that Beauty regretted asking. Before she could tell him to pay her question no mind, he told answered: “It is that way because its master is gone forever.”

Beauty's thoughts turned to the handsome stranger and she wondered if he might be the master of that throne. But she felt uneasy asking about such a thing, so she simply said, “The other throne was not broken, although it was covered in dust.”

“It is that way because its mistress left many years ago,” said the Beast. “She will not be returning soon, if at all.”

Beauty wondered what this meant. If the dust-covered throne was the mate of the broken throne, did that mean the stranger she dreamed of was married? The thought saddened her.

“Oh, Beauty, let us not worry about such things,” said the Beast. “The story of those thrones is from a lifetime ago. Let us talk of happier things.”

And for the rest of their meal, not another word was said of the ballroom or anything it held. By the time they had finished eating, Beauty was in considerably higher spirits.

“Shall we retire for the evening?” she asked, feeling very full and sleepy.

“Yes, I suppose,” said the Beast. He looked at her with the same concern as the night before. “Beauty, will you please give me your hand?”

“I am sorry, dear Beast, but I will not,” said Beauty.

 

That night, Beauty did not dream of the handsome stranger or the ladies in purple or red. She awoke well-rested and eager to see what secrets the palace still held.

The locket still hung around her neck, ensuring she would not soon forget the ballroom, the thrones, or the mysterious man of her dreams.

 


	3. The Second

Days passed. Beauty found new rooms, each with new delights to entertain her. Come dinner, she and the Beast shared engaging conversation over a delicious meal. Every evening ended the same: the Beast asked for Beauty's hand and, as always, she refused. She no longer feared her unusual host, but the thought of marrying him seemed too strange to consider.

Weeks passed. Though she did not realize it, Beauty began to settle into her new life as if she had always been in the palace. She found favorite rooms that she would visit more than once. She looked forward to her dinners with the Beast. Refusing his marriage proposals became a matter of course.

Beauty did not keep count of her time at the palace, but even months passed. Every so often, the handsome stranger appeared in her dreams. She was fascinated by him and asked him countless questions about who he was and why he appeared to her, but his only reply was to ask if she knew why she was there.

 

One beautiful day, Beauty found herself outside, in the palace gardens. She had never before explored the grounds, and so she set off with great interest.

She wandered the paths, admiring the unending array of colorful flowers around her. The path wound about statues and fountains and over a stream. She followed the stream to its source, enjoying the sound of the water running lazily by, until she found a wall of rock with a waterfall pouring over it.

She stood before the waterfall and admired the way the sunlight created a rainbow behind it. When she looked at the rocky wall more closely, it almost looked as if there was some sort of hole or opening behind the waterfall. She was tempted to explore it, but she was uncertain if she could find her room before dinner to change her clothes and the thought of spending the rest of the day soaking wet did not appeal to her. So instead, she continued on her way.

After some time of following the path, she came upon a building in a grove of trees. Looking inside, she was delighted to see that she had found an aviary filled with the most marvelous birds she had ever seen! 

The birds flocked about her as she stepped inside, all of them singing songs and reciting poems in the most charming manner. They perched on her shoulders and on her head, singing so sweetly that was overwhelmed. Never before had she heard anything so lovely!

And then a gentle tugging on her finger pulled her from her reverie.

A beautiful bird with blue and red plumage had been perched on her right forearm, carefully sliding her little gold ring from her finger. Beauty cried out and tried to shoo the bird away when she saw this, but she was too late! The bird had pulled off the ring and, with the ring firmly in its beak, flew to a perch far above Beauty's reach.

In vain did Beauty wave her arms and plead for the bird to return her ring. She considered finding something to stand on so that she might reach the bird, but decided that would be of no use. The bird would be able to fly to a new perch well before she reached it. What she needed was some way to distract the bird...

And then she had the perfect idea.

Raising her voice so that she could be heard above the other birds, she began to sing, “ _Mon père ainsi qu' ma mère. N'avaient fille que moué._ ”

The bird was silent and, for a moment, Beauty wondered if it did not know that song. But to her great happiness, it set the ring next to it on the perch and sang back, “ _Mon père ainsi qu' ma mère. N'avaient fille que moué, n'avaient fille que moué._ ” As soon as it was finished, it snapped the ring back into its beak and looked at Beauty with great interest.

Encouraged, Beauty decided to try the next verse: “ _Ils me mirent à l'école. À l'école du Roué._ ”

Once more, the bird set down the ring to sing, “ _Ils me mirent à l'école. À l'école du Roué, À l'école du Roué_ ,” before snatching it back up.

She would try one more verse, Beauty decided. As loudly as she possibly could, she sang, “ _Ils me firent faire une robe. Une robe de soué._ ”

The bird opened its mouth to sing, in its haste, it forgot to set down the ring! Beauty held out her hand and caught it as it fell to the ground, replacing it firmly on her finger and leaving the aviary immediately. As charming as the birds were, she would rather she did not suffer two thefts in one day.

She was not at all surprised to find that upon leaving the aviary, she was in a hallway in the palace. What did surprise her was the portrait hanging on the wall before her.

It was the man of her dreams, now all too familiar. He was within the locket she still wore around her neck. Now he was here.

She looked at the portrait and pondered the meaning of it until it neared dinnertime and she hastened to join the Beast.

 

Over dinner, she told the Beast of her adventure in the aviary, laughing over how the naughty bird had tried to fly away with her ring.

“He should not have done that,” said the Beast, his voice unusually harsh. “He knows better.”

“It is of no concern,” said Beauty, surprised at the Beast's anger. “No harm was done. I retrieved the ring by singing to him.”

“You what?”

“I sang an old song I have loved since I was a child.” She closed her eyes, remembering when she sang the song with the other children in the city. “ _Le tailleur qui la coupe...C'est le tailleur du Roué..._ ”

She nearly fell out of her chair when she heard the Beast sing in response, “ _Le tailleur qui la coupe. C'est le tailleur du Roué, c'est le tailleur du Roué._ ”

“You know the song?” she cried with delight.

“I have always loved to sing,” he said, sounding considerably happier.

With a smile, Beauty tried the next verse: “ _À chaque coup d'aiguille, Il dit: 'Embrassez-moué.'_ ”

The Beast cleared his throat, seeming oddly embarrassed. “Erm...  _À chaque coup d'aiguille, Il dit: "Embrassez-moué.", il dit: "Embrassez-moué._ " He ducked his head. “Forgive me. I enjoyed singing but was never particularly skilled in it. Perhaps we could talk of something else?”

“Very well,” said Beauty. She thought of the portrait of the stranger from her dreams. She wanted very much to ask if the Beast knew who he was, but despite how comfortable she now felt around the Beast, she still felt uneasy directly addressing the matter. It seemed as if she was spoiling a special secret. Instead, she asked, “I wondered, has this palace had any occupants before you came here to live?”

“I can not say,” said the Beast. “I have lived here my entire life. Before that, I can not account for who may or may not have been here.”

“I see.” Beauty did not know what that meant for her dream-stranger, but she could think of nothing else to ask on the matter.

The conversation continued on as they talked of other more lighthearted topics. Dinner passed easily and before very long, it was time for the both of them to retire to their rooms.

“Beauty,” said the Beast, “Will you give me your hand?”

“No, Beast,” said Beauty, “I will not.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song sung in this chapter is a French call-and-response children's song, "La rose au boué" (The Rose in the Wood) which is, funnily enough, the title of this story. (Coincidence? I think not! :P)
> 
> All information about this song that I used can be found here: http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=4546
> 
> Because I don't speak any French, I had to assume the lyrics listed on that website are correct. If there are any errors with my French, please feel free to correct me!
> 
> That site also gives an English translation of the song, so you can see what it was that the Beast was singing to make him all shy and awkward with Beauty.


	4. The Parting

Weeks passed following Beauty's visit to the aviary. As time went on, she began to wonder how many rooms the palace held for her to explore. She began to suspect that there would soon be no more secrets remaining to surprise her.

She realized she was wrong on the day when she found a dark, circular room lined with curtains.

A gold cord hung from the middle of the ceiling. When Beauty pulled it, the curtains rose, revealing a series of windows. Beauty peered into each one and was thrilled – each one contained a little scene that moved for her as if it were a miniature play!

She walked around the room, watching scenes of farmers and knights, kings and heroes. One window showed a dragon being vanquished. Another showed two men racing on horses. A third showed a fashionable lady walking the streets of an unknown town.

The third window from the end showed the finest scene by far. In it, there was a splendid chapel where grandly-dressed ladies and gentlemen were gathered for a wedding. When she saw the groom, Beauty gasped, for it was none other than the handsome stranger of her dreams!

He turned to the bride standing next to him and when he lifted her veil, Beauty received another shock. She was the bride!

The sight of her marrying the man in her dream delighted her, but just as the couple reached out to exchange rings, the image in the window froze. Beauty gave a cry of frustration and hurried to the next window, eager to see if it showed more of the next scene.

To her even greater surprise, this window showed only an image of the handsome stranger, dressed in the fine attire he wore in the chapel. He was reaching towards her with a ring in his hand, as if she truly was his bride.

Overcome by the thought of marrying such a handsome man, Beauty was seized with the desire to exchange rings with him. Without thinking, she slid her little gold ring off of her finger and reached towards the window with it...

And cried out in shock as there was a _bang_ followed immediately by a large crack bisecting the window, destroying its image.

Beauty was torn between fear from shock, sorrow at the stranger having been taken from her so suddenly, and shame when she realized how easily she'd nearly given away her ring. Replacing it on her finger, she hurried to the final window to see what image it held.

The image in this mirror was nothing at all like the wedding. In it, a cook prepared dinner in a kitchen in what was clearly a stately home. There was something familiar about the kitchen, but before Beauty could determine what it was, the cook carried the plate of food upstairs. The window followed her as she entered the dining room and set it on the table.

A table that Beauty's father and brothers and sisters were gathered around.

Tears sprang into Beauty's eyes as she realized why the kitchen and the house looked so familiar to her. It was her childhood home. Her siblings were all grown, so it clearly was not an image of the past. Had they somehow moved back to the city? Were they living happily?

For the first time since she had settled into life in the Beast's palace, Beauty felt the pains of homesickness in her heart. More than anything, she wanted to see her family once more.

 

Dinner that evening was a quiet affair. The Beast did his best to interest Beauty in their usual conversation, but she found herself too saddened to speak.

“Beauty,” asked the Beast, when the meal was finished, “May I have your hand?”

“No, Beast,” sighed Beauty.

“Do you feel well?” asked the Beast with concern.

“No,” said Beauty again. “I – Beast, I wish to go home!”

She expected the Beast to be surprised to hear that after so much time, or perhaps to ask what brought about such a desire. But all he said was, “I see.”

“I gave my word that I would remain here with you for the rest of my days,” said Beauty. “But please understand, I must see my family, even if it is just once! I miss them terribly. Let me see them, and I will return, I swear!”

“I believe you,” said the Beast. “Dear Beauty, I can deny you nothing. Tomorrow, you will ride my carriage to your family. Stay with them for one month's time. Enjoy their company and their love. But when that month is done, I beg of you to return immediately.”

Upon hearing this, Beauty's heart lightened. She thanked the Beast what seemed to be a thousand times and swore she would return in one month.

That night, she dreamed of the handsome stranger. This time, when she tried to speak with him, all he said was, “Remember your promise, Beauty. I will die if you forget.”

She pondered his words when she awoke the next morning, but the sight of the carriage under her window drove all thoughts of her dream out of her mind. Soon enough, she was bidding the Beast farewell and climbing into the carriage to see her family.

 

As when she rode it to the Beast for the first time, the carriage moved like the wind. It traveled in hours what should have taken days. Yet to Beauty, the journey back to the city felt like an eternity.

Her family could not believe it at first, when they saw her on their doorstep. They ran to her and took her in their arms, crying with joy at the sight of her once more. Her brothers unpacked trunks loaded on the carriage (gifts of gold and gems and precious ornaments from the Beast – when had those been packed, Beauty wondered) and her sisters took her into the parlor and brought tea. Her father asked how she escaped the Beast and for the next few hours, she regaled her family with the story of her time in the Beast's magical palace.

Over the course of the month, she told them nearly everything – of the gardens and the aviary, the mirrored ballroom and its thrones, the magnificent jewels, the endless library, the magical instruments, and her nightly dinners with the Beast. There were only two things that she could not bring herself to tell, no matter how many times she told herself she would.

The first was of her dreams of the handsome stranger. As with the Beast, she felt it was something she wished to keep close to her heart. She could share any other secrets with her family. That was one she would keep all for herself.

The second was of the Beast's request for her to return within the month. She knew it was vital her family understand that her stay was not forever. But every time she tried to work up the courage to tell someone of this, she could not bring herself to do so. It would shatter the looks of joy on all of their faces whenever they saw her returned to them, and all she wanted was for her family to be happy. And truth be told, now back among her loving siblings and papa, she began to wonder if spending the rest of her life with only the Beast for company was truly what she wanted.

And so she put out of her mind the day she would have to return to the Beast.

And because it is how such things often end up, she forgot. The day she should have returned came and went. Another passed. And then another.

Three days past when she promised the Beast she would return, Beauty fell asleep in her own bed. For the first time since leaving the palace, she dreamed of the handsome stranger...

 


	5. The Third

In her dream, she stood before the stranger in the mirrored ballroom as he sat on one of the fine thrones. She realized that it was the throne that was, in reality, ruined, but before she could say a word about this, the stranger stood, took one step towards her, and collapsed to the ground.

Beauty sharply drew in a breath, but before she could cry out, the room changed. She now stood in the gardens, as bright and sunny as the day she explored them. She followed the paths through the well-tended flower beds, certain that the stranger could be found somewhere nearby. She smiled with delight as she turned a corner, for she saw a form lounging in the grass. It was not the stranger that she found, however.

It was the Beast, lying at the foot of the most beautiful rose bush Beauty had ever laid eyes on.

Beauty ran to him, vexed at him appearing in one of her magical dreams. What did it mean, seeing him here? She knelt by his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, but he did not stir.

She shook him gently and, when that changed nothing, more firmly. She called his name. Still, he did not wake.

“Oh, what is this?” cried Beauty, fearing for her friend. “Why will he not awake?”

“It is because you broke your contract.”

Beauty turned and saw the lady in purple standing behind her, her face as impassive as the first time Beauty saw her.

“What contract?” Beauty asked. And then, when it was clear the lady had no intention of answering, “Is this because I am late?”

“Yes,” said the lady in purple, her voice neither commending or condemning. “You broke your word, Beauty. You see what will come of it.”

Tears began to flow from Beauty's eyes as she turned back to the Beast. “I didn't know! It was only three days! I never – I wouldn't – I don't want him to come to harm!”

She clamored to her feet and ran. Where she intended to go, not even she could say. She knew she was in some way abandoning the Beast once more, but she could not stay with him and the lady in purple. Tears clouded her eyes as she ran, and so she was taken by surprise when she ran into another.

“My dear!” said the figure. The voice was warm and welcoming and familiar. When Beauty dried her tears, she saw that the lady in red now stood before her.

“The Beast has died,” said Beauty hoarsely. “It's my fault! If only I had returned sooner -”

“Listen carefully, my dear,” said the lady in red. “The fate that befalls the Beast is indeed your fault. There are consequences for each decision each of us make, and the way you chose is no different.”

“I did not know,” said Beauty miserably. “I did not know ill would befall him.”

Remember,” said the Red Lady, “this is your dream. What you see here will come to pass, but not quite yet. There is still a little time left. Time enough for you to choose once more.”

“What do you mean?” asked Beauty. “What choice could I possibly have but to return to him?”

“You have a choice in where you stay: with your family or with the Beast. I am able to grant you knowledge of what consequences each way will bring, so I pray you accept this one boon I may offer.”

“Tell me,” whispered Beauty.

The lady in red nodded. “If you choose to remain with your family, you will live out your life in security. The Beast will never be able to touch you, nor your father nor your brothers and sisters. Your father's prosperity will never again falter, and so you all will live your lives in comfort. All traces of the Beast and his castle will vanish from your life, save for the gifts he left to you. With no magical horse, you will have no hope of finding the castle once more. In time, it will be as if your time in this castle were nothing more than a dream.”

“And if I return here?”

“You will live out the rest of your days as the Beast's companion. He will provide for you and as long as you live, all that you wish will be yours. He will be well again, and you will never again fear for his life. However the Beast will be, as he always has been, the master of this castle and all within it. He is his own being, and I cannot account for his nature. If it is his will, you may never again see your family.”

“He let me go home before,” Beauty murmured.

“He did. Perhaps he would do so again. Perhaps he would remember you broke your word and not trust you again.”

“He would never!”

The lady in red looked at Beauty with great interest. “Are you so certain of that? Beasts can hold grudges.”

Beauty shook her head. “No! I know he would never think of me in that way. I was wrong to break my word, but I meant no harm and he will know it. He is kind and understanding and he has a good heart.”

“Remember, no matter which decision you make, you are guaranteed to be provided for. Your immediate needs will be met. You must consider who will make you the happiest. Do you trust the Beast to have your best intentions in his heart? You cannot always know what a beast thinks.”

Beauty closed her eyes. She saw her papa's smile upon seeing her return. She heard her brothers' laughter. She felt the embrace of her sisters.

And she remembered every dinner she had with the Beast, every kind word and every conversation shared, every time he made her laugh.

He had made her feel at home.

“I trust him,” said Beauty. “He is not unfeeling or capricious. I had promised him I would return but in truth, even if I had not, I would have wanted to see him again. I have missed him.”

The garden was silent, the weight of those last last four words hanging between them. Then, with the faintest of smiles, the Red Lady spoke. “So, you have made your choice?”

“As I said, there is no choice,” said Beauty. “I will not leave my Beast to suffer. I will miss Papa and my brothers and sisters terribly, but they have one another. They will know I love them and think of them every day. Now, how long do I have to return to the castle?”

“Very little,” said the lady in red. “You have until the chime of midnight to return to his side, or else all you attempt will be for naught.”

Beauty felt a stab of fear in her heart. “Midnight?! But it is already so late! And even with the magical carriage, I don't think I will reach the castle before dawn!” She knew she must try, but as she thought of every imaginable way, the idea of reaching the Beast in time seemed impossible.

“Despair not, Beauty,” said the lady in red. “You can make the trip in little time at all. The ring you have kept faithfully for so many years is one of great magic and if you but turn it on your finger and wish yourself to the palace, you will find yourself there instantly.

“My ring?” Beauty glanced down at it in surprise. “But how -?”

There were to be no more answers, however. The dream ended as suddenly as it began and Beauty sat swiftly upright in her bed, her hands clasped over her pounding heart.

 

There was little that Beauty needed to pack, for she knew the palace would provide nearly anything she could possibly want. It was all just as well. She was in such a hurry to return that even changing out of her nightgown felt like the most drawn-out routine in the world.

Once dressed, she quickly fetched a quill, a pot of ink, and a sheet of paper. As quickly as her shaking hands would allow, she wrote a farewell to her family. She told them all of what she dreamed, why she left so suddenly, and how, with God's blessing, she would see them once more. If not, she wrote, she loved them dearly and hoped their lives were showed with fortune's favor.

She folded the letter into an envelope, where it was sealed with a kiss, a bit of wax, and several tears that Beauty did not know she had cried until they fell from her face.

Those tasks complete, Beauty stood in the center of the room. She held herself as stiff and still as a candlestick, perhaps expecting a whirlwind or a bolt of lightning to be summoned by what she was about to do. She held out her left and and, with her right, carefully turned the ring.

“I wish to be at the Beast's castle,” she whispered and shut her eyes tightly.

There was no thunder. There was no storm. There was not even the hoot of an owl. When she opened her eyes, she was once more in a corridor that was now as familiar as her her Papa's kind smile.

 

The Beast was in the garden. Beauty was certain of that much. That was where he was in her dream, and the lady in red had said the dream was of what was to come. And so Beauty tore through the palace until her breath came in sharp gasps and sweat trickled down her face, trying door after door until she found the right one.

But it would seem that the palace was unwilling to cooperate. Beauty cursed herself for growing so accustomed to its magic that she forgot how it worked. She had found none of those wondrous rooms on her own. She had set out to find amusement and the palace had guided her and arranged everything to accommodate her desires. It had been thrilling at the time, but now she was left with no idea how to find the gardens.

“Please,” she gasped, throwing open a door. A library, though not one nearly as grand as the one she had found before. She slammed shut the door and continued on.

“Please,” she said again, reaching for the next door. A lovely parlor, charming under other circumstances but again not what she was seeking. She once more closed the door and went onward, continuing her litany all the way.

“Please...” A spare bedroom. Onward.

“Please...” A room with a splendid piano and a little table displaying a fine chess set. Onward.

“Please...” A room that was not what she was looking for, not the gardens, nothing like where she needed to be.

She was too weary to speak at all by now, but her mind cried out the same sentence that she had thought with each “Please”. _Please let me find him... please let me find him..._

A little clock on a table caught her eye as she stumbled down the corridor. Pausing to rest, she peered at it to see how long she had left.

_It was 11:45_ .

Beauty reeled, nearly falling to the ground in despair. Fifteen minutes! That was how long she had to return to the Beast! But she could not even find the gardens. How could she possibly reach him in time? She began to weep in fear and frustration, though she forced herself to continue searching the seemingly endless rooms.

And then she opened a door to a room that surprised her so much that she stopped crying and stared in astonishment.

It was not the gardens. But it was a room she was nearly as glad to see. It was her bedroom, the splendid little room that the Beast said he arranged just for her. And after having seen the other bedrooms in the palace, she realized that he truly had. It had the same comfortable bed, the same beautiful fireplace, and the same writing desk as all the others. But the decorations and ornaments, the vases full of flowers, the pictures on the wall... none of the other bedrooms had those. The Beast had made the room so that she might feel welcome. Not a guest... a member of the household.

_Oh my Beast..._

A part of Beauty remembered that time was short and she had to keep searching. But the warmth and security of the room overwhelmed her. In her panic and grief, she was drawn to the sense of comfort it provided. Before she could think of what she was doing, she walked into the room.

She could not say why the sight of this room was so unexpected. Perhaps it was because all of the other rooms were now strange, the sight of one so completely familiar was like finding an old friend. Everything about it seemed to soothe her, from the way the bed sheets had been welcomingly turned out for her return to the faint breeze drifting in through the window...

_The window!_

Beauty hobbled across the room as quickly as she could, for she remembered her first morning in this room and how the first thing she had done was to look out that window and admire the... the... yes! The garden!

Just as before, the garden was in full view from the window! It was more difficult to see under the darkness of near-midnight, but it was there all the same! Beauty nearly shouted with joy, for she was now so close!

The distance from the window to the ground was slightly higher than she was. Beauty did not dare a straight jump and the window was too small for her to throw out her mattress to land on. But there was a thick wall of ivy that ran alongside the window and that would do.

Beauty threw open the window as wide as it would go and, before she could change her mind, seized the ivy with both hands and jumped.

The vines were nearly strong enough to hold her weight. Beauty screamed as she slid down the wall, torn ivy falling around her. But she scrambled to find some purchase against the wall and this slowed her enough that she landed without serious injury.

For a moment, Beauty could do nothing but kneel on the grass and will her racing heart to a more managable pace. But that moment paced, and she was on her feet and hurrying through the gardens as quickly as she could.

_How much time had passed? How much time was left?_

_Where was the Beast?_

The seconds ticked on.

 

Even with the vast size and the darkness, the gardens did not overwhelm Beauty nearly as much as searching the palace had. Everything remained familiar, which made it much easier for her to retrace her steps and find her destination.

She knew where the Beast was. She could not say how, but it all made perfect sense. There was one place in the garden that had imprinted itself on her mind, though there was no logical reason for it to have done so. But she did not question this. The palace and the gardens were magic, and if magic would help her now, she would accept it gladly.

The waterfall was exactly where it had once been. Without a moment's hesitation, she dashed through. She was blinded for a moment by the cold water splashed across her face, but she did not falter. That she did not find herself unceremoniously flattened against stone told her that she had been right – there was a cave behind there.

And so she ran on.

 

It was dark inside, but not pitch-black. Large crystals jutting from the ceiling and walls emitted an unearthly blue glow, illuminating a lush grotto carpeted by sweet-smelling grass. Once upon a time, Beauty may have been surprised by this sight. Now, all she cared for was what she saw before her.

There was the rosebush and there was the Beast, both exactly as they were in her dream. Beauty went cold at the sight, but when she knelt by his side, his eyes opened.

“You came back,” he whispered.

“Of course I did,” she said, struggling not to cry. “Oh Beast, I am sorry! This was all my fault. I'm sorry I broke my promise. Please tell me it is not too late! Whatever magic is behind this, it must be reversed, mustn't it? I returned in time!”

“Do not be sorry, Beauty,” said the Beast. “I understand. There is nothing for you to blame yourself for. And as for magic, there was none. You nearly disarmed me with my own broken heart.”

“I don't understand,” said Beauty, her brow creased.

“No, I suppose you do not,” murmured the Beast. “I did try very hard to hide how I felt, but you have been my first and only companion in so many years. When I was told you would be coming to me, I was filled with joy, yet more frightened than I had ever been in all of my life. Suppose you refused? If you had, I... I do not know what I would have done. I suppose my heart would have broken that much earlier and you would have bested me.”

“Bested?” echoed Beauty. “I have never had a quarrel with you. Please, do not speak as if we were... were enemies!”

“We may as well have been,” said the Beast sadly. “Beauty, oh, Beauty, I do not know how you will ever forgive me!”

Beauty grasped one of the Beast's paws in her own, alarmed at his sudden distress. “There is nothing for me to forgive!”

“There is! I behaved terribly to you. I never told you that during the day, I would hide here and control all of the rooms inside of the palace. I sent those jewels to the ballroom on your first day, in the hopes they would distract you when you removed your ring. But you were not fooled. I felt so ashamed of myself, I did not make another attempt until much later. When you found the aviary, I thought it might finally bring things to an end.”

“The aviary? My...ring? The bird was your doing?”

“It was.”

“But how could you possibly... ?”

“I speak to the birds as effortlessly as any of the rooms, and they are quite tame. I thought to myself that this time, I would surely succeed! You could not fly after all, and after you gave up on the ring, it would be a simple matter of calling the bird to me. I had not expected you to trick the bird with such a clever plan.”

“Please, be still!” Beauty begged. She did not like the pained look on the Beast's face. Not after he had been so close to death. Whether or not he assured her he would be well, she still was worried.

“But my most shameful plan would have been my final attempt,” the Beast continued, seeming to not hear Beauty. “I led you to the room with the moving pictures in the windows. I showed you the scene with the church. I thought when you saw – when you saw that prince, you would trust him enough to offer your ring. I was right. He is a man far more deserving of trust than myself, after all,” the Beast added bitterly.

“But nothing happened,” said Beauty, trying to soothe him. “The window cracked.”

“That was my doing. I might have succeeded, but the thought of doing so in such a way sickened me. Instead, I showed you something I thought might make you happier – an image of your family. Of course, it only served to make you lonely and wish to return home. After how I had treated you, I had no right to deny you when you asked for permission to see your family. Even if it were not so, I would never have subjected you to the loneliness I am well familiar with. I would not have blamed you if you had never returned. As much as it pained me, I hoped you would have chosen to do so.”

“I have had a conversation about choices already tonight,” said Beauty. “I said it then and I shall say it now – I am certain in my decision. I think there is much that still needs explained, but we have time. Now, Beast, please do not torment yourself any longer over this! I forgive you as you have forgiven me, and that too is my choice. I love you.”

The Beast's eyes widened and he took Beauty's hands in his paws. “Oh Beauty, Beauty, I love you as well! Beauty, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will!” she cried.

The Beast gave a great sigh of happiness and fell backwards. Beauty screamed and leaned forward to revive him, but before she could touch him, the light from the crystals began to glow stronger and stronger, until the light was nearly blinding. As Beauty rubbed her eyes, desperate to clear her vision, she heard a woman's voice cry out “The duel has been concluded! A salute to the champions for a battle well-fought.”

A thousand questions flitted in Beauty's mind, but she pushed them all aside in favor of the most important, _where was the Beast_? The spots before her eyes were fading and she could see the form of a man before her, but he was far too small to be the Beast. If he was not though, where had the Beast gone? And how did this man enter the cave exactly where the Beast had been...?

And as she regained her vision entirely, she gasped. The man, now sitting up and looking rather out of sorts himself, was the stranger who had visited her in her dreams!

“You!” she cried. “Have you been here all along? Where were you? Where is my Beast? He was here...”

… Exactly where the stranger now stood.

The stranger, who had his portrait in the palace, where the Beast had lived for his entire life...

… A magic palace that the Beast controlled...

… And, in all likelihood, had the ability to give Beauty certain dreams, as well as a locket with the stranger's portrait.

Once upon a time she might have said this was impossible. After all that she had been through though, all Beauty could think to say was, “How did I not realize?!”

The man – the former-Beast, she realized – laughed and took her in his arms. “If it had not happened to me, I likely would not have thought of it either,” he said.

Beauty opened her mouth to ask how, but the man drew back and pointed at something behind her. Turning, Beauty found herself faced with two more familiar dream-sights. The grand ladies in purple and red stood before her, now both wearing jeweled crowns. A third woman in a fine gold gown stood before them and when she spoke, Beauty recognized her as the disembodied voice from before.

“Announcing their Majesties Una and Tanaquill, Queens of all of Fairyland,” she called.

The man was on his feet and bowing respectfully. Beauty likewise rose and curtsied, though she was terribly confused.

“Arise, Prince,” said the lady in purple. “Well-played.”

“My lady Tanaquill,” he murmured respectfully.

“Arise, Beauty,” said the lady in red. “Well done.”

Beauty straightened, wondering what she could possibly say. She had so many questions, but the very thought of bothering such regal women with trivialities made her feel impertinent.

The lady in red smiled knowingly. “Yes, I am afraid I owe you explanations, Beauty.”

“You ought to have done as I had with my champion and told her from the start, Una,” said Tanaquill. “There would have been no messes to clean now.”

“I had my own way,” said Una mildly. She turned back to Beauty. “My dear, I am sorry you were left so confused by all of this, but it was the only way this could have ended as it did.”

Beauty listened with rapt attention as she was told of the duel,what was at stake for the two fairies, and how they had chosen their champions. “But I don't understand,” she said when Una had finished. “Why could you have not told me about this?”

“It was because of Tanaquill's decision,” Una said (Tanaquill sniffed at this). “Each champion was to be gifted with one magical weapon from the one who chose them. Each champion had three attempts to disarm the other, and whoever succeeded won. Tanaquill chose to grant her champion the rather...unorthodox weapon of his curse, changing him into the Beast and giving him the ability to manipulate his palace.”

“I had planned on a more conventional weapon,” said Tanaquill. She glanced at the prince. “When I became your tutor, I had hoped you would show your parents' aptitude for battle. When you did not, I decided to to choose something that offered you more of an advantage.”

“The curse made him strong,” Una agreed. “But such magic does traditionally have reoccurring weaknesses. This one was tied to your heart, dear prince. If Beauty had broken your heart, it would have been enough to dissolve your curse. But that had not been what I was hoping for. It is more powerful to mend a heart than to break one, and when Beauty confessed her love to you – true love that was only possible if she did not know all of the conditions – the curse was dissolved.”

“Was this why you asked me to marry you every night?” Beauty asked the prince.

The prince blushed. “I... was not asking you to marry me. I was asking you to forfeit the duel by voluntarily surrendering your ring to me. It did not count as an attempt to disarm and I had hoped you would simply agree. It never once occurred to me that you simply did not know the rules of what we were in.” He turned to Tanaquill and added, “Speaking of what we did not know, you never told me the conditions of the curse.”

“I did not think the duel would last so long that it would matter,” she said. “I did not know it would take you so long to retrieve a simple ring.”

“My...ring?” asked Beauty in astonishment. She glanced at her finger, then saw the prince sheepishly offering it to her.

“It came off when I collapsed,” he explained.

She took it from him and looked at it. “ _This_ was my magical weapon?”

“Does that surprise you?” asked Una. “It clearly is magical. Did it not bring you to the palace?”

“Yes, but... but it is so ordinary!”

“Many things seem less extraordinary than they truly are,” said Una serenely. “A prince appears to be an ugly monster. A magic ring appears to be worthless. A fairy appears to be an old beggar woman. The girl who saved the prince and will one day be queen appears to be a poor farmgirl.”

Beauty could think of nothing to say to that, so she instead asked, “Does this mean that you are now the Fairy Queen?”

Tanaquill snorted. “Did you not hear our herald, child? We both are the queens of Fairyland! You broke my curse as the prince took your ring. Did he not just give it back to you? You can be a very clever girl, but do try to keep up!”

“Now Tanaquill,” said Una with a gentle smile. To Beauty, “We are indeed both queen now. The Council may fuss, but we will divide our duties evenly. It will all work out in the end.”

“Then... what happens now?” asked Beauty.

“Now I believe we owe you reparations for your involvement,” said Una. “You both would like to be married as quickly as possible, I believe?”

“Very much,” said the prince, taking Beauty's hand in his.

“Then so it shall be,” said Tanaquill.

And so it was.

 


	6. The End

The wedding was held in the very chapel Beauty had seen in the enchanted window, the palace chapel hidden away on the grounds. Queen Una arranged a wonderful ceremony, seeing to it that Beauty's entire family arrived without delay so that the wedding could take place immediately.

For her part, Queen Tanaquill traveled to the neighboring kingdom and provided considerable aid, which would bring the war to an end in due time. More immediately, it allowed the prince's mother to return for the wedding, where she saw her son for the first time in countless years.

Beauty and her prince were wed in a grand ceremony. The whole of the kingdom was invited to the celebration and the festivities lasted for an entire week. I was there myself, and I can say with the greatest of confidence that it was event that any of the guests had seen in their lifetimes. The wine flowed without end, the cakes were all sumptuous, and the music played day and night.

You may believe me when I say all of this, just as you may believe me when I tell you that the Beauty and the once-Beast went on to live happily ever after.

 


End file.
